Lifting and supporting device



Dec. 7, 1965 J. B. GORMLEY 3,222,031

LIFTING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 7, 1965 Filed Sept. 30, 1965 LIFT J. B. GORMLEY ING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR.

Dec. 7, 1965 J. B. GORMLEY 3,222,031

LIFTING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 50, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 AT TOFNE Y5.

Dec. 7, 1965 J. B. GORMLEY 3,222,031

LIFTING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 50, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 QILA ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,222,031 LIFTING AND SUPPORTING DEVICE John B. Gormley, 60 McClellan Circle, Buffalo, N.Y. Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,427 13 (Iiaims. (Cl. 254114) This invention relates to improvements in lifting and supporting devices or jacks by means of which an implement, tool or weight may be supported to be movable in all directions and at different distances above the ground or a floor to facilitate manipulating the weight or implement.

In various types of work in which an implement or other weight must be held and moved about to different positions, the weight of the instrument is tiring to the user of the same and reduces the amount of work which he is capable of doing. For example, in trimming a hedge an electrically operated shearing or cutting implement is commonly employed which must of course be moved around to trim the top as well as the sides of the hedge, and it is desirable to provide some means for at least partly supporting the trimming implement in such manner that it may be freely moved into various positions.

It is consequently an object of this invention to provide a lifting and supporting device on which the implement or other weight supported thereby is readily movable into different positions and elevations as the work progresses.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind which is mechanically operated by foot power.

A further object is to provide a device of this kind with means of improved construction for raising the standard or column of the device and supporting the same in raised position.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a supporting and lifting device embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a central, sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of the lower part of the device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 3-3, FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a similar View with some of the parts of the device in different positions.

FIG. 5 is a central, sectional elevation of the intermediate part of the standard.

FIG. 6 is an elevation showing the tube-holding and releasing part of my improved mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a similar elevation of a tube-gripping and releasing part of my mechanism for use in elevating the upper part of the standard.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are transverse sections thereof on lines 88 and 9-9 of FIG. 5 respectively.

FIG. 10 is a sectional elevation of the lower part of the device along line Ill-10, FIG. 2.

The supporting device shown in the drawings and constituting one embodiment of my invention includes a pair of telescopically arranged tubes, the upper tube 9 of which may be raised or lowered. The device is mounted on a hollow base 10 which also constitutes a housing for some of the mechanism for raising and lowering the upper tube of the device. The base may rest on the ground or floor and has one outer tube which also constitutes a column or standard 11 extending into and mounted on an upwardly extending guide tube 12 secured in a tubular extension 13 formed integral with the base. This guide tube 12 has an annular shoulder on which the lower end of the tube or standard 11 rests.

The base 10 may be made in two parts or halves secured together in any suitable manner, for example, by a bolt or pin 14 arranged in tubular projections 15 preferably formed integral with the two halves of the 3,222,031 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 base and extending inwardly therefrom and alined so that the pin 14 extends into both of these tubular projections. The pin is shorter than the two tubular projections and the inner end of the pin is preferably threaded to receive an end of a screw is which locks the pin in the tubular projections and also urges the two halves of the base together. The outer ends of the pin 14 and the screw 16 have heads which engage the parts of the base to enable the pin and screw to draw the two halves of the base together.

The two halves of the base may also be held in correct relation to each other by means of short ribs or projections 18 formed on the two halves of the base so that the ribs of one half of the base fit between the ribs of the other half. Any other means for securing the two halves in correct relation to each other may be employed.

The bottom of the base may also be roughened as indicated at 19 to prevent it from slipping on the ground or a floor. Each half of the base also has a reinforcing rib 20 formed integral with the wall of the base and with the tubular parts 15 and extending above and below the same.

The guide tube 12 which supports the column 11 is rigidly secured to the base by clamping the two halves of the base into gripping engagement with the guide tube. In the construction shown for this purpose the upper ends of the two halves of the base are shaped to form a cylindrical recess to receive a part of the guide tube and the guide tube also has an annular flange 22 formed to fit into a corresponding recess in the two halves of the base. The upper ends of the two halves of the base may be secured together in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a band or ring 23 fitting around a cylindrical surface of the base and held in place by a spring ring 24 which may be expanded to pass over an edge of a recess in the base and then snap into this recess.

In order to raise the upper tube 9 of the device, I have provided a foot lever 25 which is pivoted concentric with the bolt or pin 14 and extends out of the base through a slot therein so that the outer end of this lever may be depressed by the foot of an operator to swing the foot lever about the axis of the pin 14. The foot lever is connected with a spring 27 which urges the foot lever into its upper position shown in full lines in FIG. 10. This foot lever has an extension 28 within. the base which has a cam slot or groove 30.

The raising of the upper tube 9 is effected through a lift rod 31 which extends downwardly through the guide tube 12 and is connected with the cam slot. For this purpose a connecting tube 32 is provided which extends about the lower part of the lift rod 31 and secured thereto, for example, by means of a screw or bolt 33. The lower end of the connecting tube is bifurcated and straddles the extension 28 of the foot lever and a pin 34 is connected with the ends of the bifurcated part of the connecting tube and extends through the cam slot. If desired a friction reducing bearing 35 may be interposed between the slot and the end of this cap screw or pin 24. It will thus be noted that as the foot lever is swung from the upper dotted line position in FIG. 10 to the lower position, the lifting rod 31 will be raised. Upon release of downward pressure on the foot lever, this lever will be swung upwardly by the spring 27 into the full line position shown in FIG. 10.

The pin or bolt 33 passes through a ring 70 and extends through a slot in the connecting tube 32 into engagement with the lift rod 31. This arrangement permits the lift rod to be turned without turning the connecting tube, for reasons hereinafter explained.

The upward movement of the lift rod 31 is effected intermittently in a step by step motion in which the lift rod is gripped and releasably held after each upward movement of the same. In the construction shown, this gripping is effected by means of a gripping device 40 of well known type formed by woven wire in which the wires extend spirally in opposite directions. These woven wires are secured at their inner ends to a collar 41 extending about the lift rod 31 and at their lower ends to another collar 42 secured to the lower end of the inner tube 9 slidably arranged in telescopic relation within the column or standard 11 so that the variations in height of the device are obtained by telescoping the tube 9 relatively to the tube 11. The Woven Wire cylinder 40 is so related to the lift rod 31 that when the lift rod is raised, this wire sleeve will be expanded lengthwise and consequently contracted in diameter to grip the lift rod so that upward movement of the same will be transferred through the collar 42 to the inner tube 9, thus raising this tube. Upon release of the upward pressure on the lift rod by allowing the foot lever to move upwardly, the lift rod is lowered so that after a slight initial lowering of the same, the gripping sleeve releases from the lift rod and permits the same to move downwardly within the gripping sleeve into the position shown in FIG. 10. The lift rod 31 is preferably provided at the upper end thereof with a collar 44 having sliding fit into the tube 9 to steady the move ment of the lift rod.

A gripping member similar to the gripping member 40 is provided which connects the inner tube 9 with the outer tube 11 for releasably holding the inner tube 9 in its raised position relatively to the other tube 11. This gripping member 45 is of a larger diameter than the gripping member 40 and is arranged on the exterior of and in gripping relation to the inner tube 9. In this case the upper end of the gripping member 45 is secured to a collar 46 extending about the inner tube 9 which is slidable upwardly through the gripping member and the collar 46. This collar is mounted on an upper extension 48 of the outer tube or column 11 and this extension extends about the gripping member. As shown in FIG. 5, the outer tube 11 is connected with a tubular extension 48 by an annular, outwardly flaring portion 49 extending from the upper end of the outer, tubular member 11 to the lower end of the extension 48 of this member. This collar 46 is mounted on the upper end of the extension 48. Consequently, if the inner tube 9 is raised, it can move freely through the gripping member 45, but when this tube is lowered, the gripping member 45 is elongated and contracted radially to grip the inner tubular member 9 to hold it from moving downwardly.

The releasing of the grip on the inner tube 9 by the gripping member 45 is effected by raising the lower end of the gripping member. This member has the lower end of the woven portion secured to a ring 50 which has a pair of legs 51 extending downwardly therefrom and passing through slots in the flaring part 49. The lower ends of these legs are secured to the lower ring 53 which extends about the outer tube 11. Consequently, by raising the lower ring and its associated ring 50, the gripping member 50 will release the inner tubular member 9 and thus permit this member to move downwardly.

To facilitate manipulation of the device, I preferably provide a hand-hold or releasing member 55 which is of cylindrical form extending about the upper, gripping memher and the parts associated therewith and which has an upper end 56 which normally rests on the collar 46, which in turn is supported by the outer tube or column 11. The lower end of this cylindrical hand-hold member has a bottom wall or head 57 secured thereto and spaced below the lower ring 53. Consequently when the hand-hold in raised, the bottom wall 57 thereof will engage this lower ring and raise the ring 50 to release the upper, gripping member so that the inner, tubular member 9 may be lowered as desired. The downward movement of the inner member 9 may be stopped in any desired position by releasing the hand-hold member. It will be noted that the upper gripping member 45 merely holds the inner tube 9 against downward movement unless released, but will not interfere with the manual raising of the inner tube 9 if desired.

Means are also provided for locking the lifting grip 40 in relaxed or inoperative condition when not in use. For this purpose I provide a short, tubular locking sleeve 65 which frictionally grips the lift rod 31 and the lower end of which is connected with the collar 41 in such manner as to permit turning of the locking sleeve relatively to this collar but to prevent vertical motion of the sleeve and collar relatively to each other. This permits the locking sleeve to be turned with the lift rod without turning of the gripping member 40 and by frictionally gripping the lift rod 31, the locking sleeve augments the action of the gripping member 40 by urging the collar 41 upwardly to cause the spiral woven part to grip the lift rod when this rod is moved upwardly. This locking sleeve 65 is provided with an inverted L-shaped slot 67 into which extends a pin or stud 68 secured to and extending inwardly from the inner tube 9. Consequently, when the locking sleeve is turned so that the pin or stud 68 fits into the lateral extension of the L-shaped slot, the gripping action of the member 40 will be released so that it does not grip the lifting rod 31 to prevent lowering of the load-carrying, inner tube 9. Consequently, when the lifting rod 31 is freed from engagement with its gripping member 4!), and the inner tube 9 is lowered manually by actuation of the hand-hold 55, the parts of the load-supporting device may be moved into their most compact positions so that the device can be easily carried.

In order to assemble this part of the device, I make the tubular member 65 of a flat sheet of spring steel having its lower end flanged outwardly at 66. The sheet of spring steel when bent does not form a complete cylinder, thus leaving a slot 69, FIG. 9, between the two upright edges of the tubular locking member 65, so that this member can be contracted to a smaller diameter to permit the lower flange 66 to be inserted into an inwardly facing, annular slot in the inner face of the collar 41 before the lifting rod 31 is inserted into the upper tube 41. The tubular locking member 65 will consequently grip the lifting rod 31 but may turn relatively to the collar 41.

The turning of the lifting rod 31 and the tubular member 65 to move the pin or stud 68 and the horizontal portion of the slot 67 of the sleeve into engagement, may be effected by means of the foot pedal or lever 25. For this purpose I provide a collar 70 secured to the lifting rod 31 and cooperating with a hooked arm 71 secured of the foot lever 25. The collar 70 is secured to the lifting rod 31 by means of pin 33 extending through a slot 73 formed in the connecting tube 32 so that turning of the collar 70 is transmitted through the bolt 33 to the lifting rod without turning the connecting tube 32.

The collar has a groove or recess 74 formed therein into which the hooked or bent-over end 75 of the arm 71 may enter. In FIG. 3 the arm 71. is shown in the position which it occupies when the foot lever 25 is in the uppermost position shown in full lines in FIG. 10, and during the movement of the foot lever from this position in FIG. 10 to the upper of the two broken line positions, the collar 70 is swung by the arm 71 into the position shown in FIG. 4. Farther downward movement of the foot lever for raising the lift rod results in the end 75 of the arm 71 moving away from the recess 74 so that no further turning of the collar 70 results during the working stroke of the foot lever for moving the lifting rod upwardly. During this time the pin 68 moves only in the upright portion of the slot 67, but when the foot lever is swung from the upper, broken line position in FIG. 10 to the full line position, the arm 71 engages in the recess 74 of the collar 70 and thus causes the locking sleeve 65 to be turned into the position shown in FIG. 3, so that the pin 68 will be in the laterally extending portion of the L-shaped slot 67. When in this position the pressure is taken off of the gripping unit 40 so that the lift rod can then move downwardly. When the handhold 55 is actuated to release the upper gripping member 45 from the inner tube, then this tube can be moved downwardly to the desired extent. When the inner tube is moved into the lowest position, the parts of the device are then in collapsed or compacted position for ready transport to another place. When it is again desired to move the inner tube upwardly, it is merely necessary to depress the foot lever which, during the first part of its movement will turn the tubular sleeve 65 into the position shown in FIG. 5, in which the pin 68 is in the vertical position of the L-shaped slot 67.

The inner tubular member 9 may be provided with a pulley 80 on the upper end thereof which is mounted in a housing rotatable about a vertical axis on a suitable bearing 81, and a cord 82 connected with an actuating handle 83 serves to support an implement or other weight on the threaded end 84 thereof. This structure is described in and forms a part of my copending application Ser. No. 275,101 filed April 23, 1963. It will of course be understood that other forces may be exerted by the inner tube 9 by means of the mechanism described, for example, the device may be used as a shore if the pulley 80 and the parts associated therewith are omitted.

The gripping or holding devices 40 and 45 have the advantage that they do not interfere with the upward movement of the inner, tubular member 9, since this can be done by hand if desired. However, if the load supported by the gripping member is heavier than can be conveniently operated by hand, then the foot-controlled lifting mechanism described can be employed. After the inner tube has been raised to the desired extent, the upper grip 45 will support it, and the operators foot can be removed from the foot lever, whereupon the spring 27 will swing this lever to its upper position, which results in entering the pin 68 into the horizontal part of the slot 67, so that the locking sleeve 65 will be locked in its position. This will not interfere with the further raising of the inner tube since turning of the foot lever to raise the lift rod will, during its initial turning unlock this locking sleeve. The lowering of the upper tubular member 9 can only be effected by raising the hand-hold 55, and when the upper tubular member has been lowered to the desired extent, its further downward movement can be stopped by again lowering the hand-hold 55. It is to be understood that gripping or holding devices other than those described may be employed in connection with my lifting or supporting device.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. I

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

a gripping device releasably connecting said lift rod and said inner tube and forming a connection between said tube during upward movement of said lift rod,

means for supporting said inner tube in raised position, and including a gripping device connecting said inner and outer tubes and holding said inner tube against downward movement when said lifting rod is moved downwardly, said gripping devices being formed by wires woven in spiral form in opposite directions and contractable when the gripping device is stretched lengthwise.

2. An implement supporting device according to claim 1, and including a gripping device connecting said inner and outer tubes and holding said inner tube against downward movement when said lifting rod is moved downwardly. v

3. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

a gripping device releasably connecting said lift rod and said inner tube and forming a connection be tween said tube during upward movement of said lift rod,

means for supporting said inner tube in raised position,

and a locking sleeve connected with the upper part of said gripping device and frictionally engaging said lift rod,

said locking sleeve being movable into a position to engage said inner tube and thereby disconnecting said gripping device from said lift rod.

4. An implement according to claim 3 in which said locking sleeve had a slot and said inner tube has a pin extending into said slot,

said slot having a vertical portion in which said pin may move during the raising of said inner tube,

and a laterally extending portion into which said pin extends for connecting said locking sleeve with said inner tube.

5. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

said base including two parts,

means for clamping said two parts of the base together including a pin forming a connection between said parts and said base.

and means for actuating said lift rod to move the inner tube including a foot lever pivoted on said pin.

6. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

said base being hollow and formed of two parts secured together,

a guide tube secured to the upper part of said base and on which the outer tube is supported,

said lift rod being guided in said guide tube for vertical motion and intermittently connected with said inner tube,

and a foot lever extending into said base and connected with said lift rod for intermittently raising the same.

7. An implement supporting device according to claim 5 and including interlocking parts on said guide tube and said base which secure said guide tube in fixed relation to said base when the parts of the base are secured together.

8. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

a foot lever pivotally mounted within said base and having a cam slot,

said lift rod releasably connected with said inner tube for raising the same,

a connecting tube arranged at the lower end of said lift rod and having a part connected with said cam slot,

and said lift rod being rotatable to a limited extent within said connecting tube.

9. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged v tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and movable vertically up and down,

a guide tube secured to the upper part of said base and extending into the same,

said outer tube resting and being supported on said guide tube,

a lift rod also extending through said guide tube,

a gripping member connecting said lift rod with said inner tube,

a connecting tube with which the lower end of said lift rod is connected and which is reciprocable in said guide tube,

said lift rod being rotatable about its axis to a limited extent relatively to said connecting tube,

and means actuated by rotation of said lift rod for disconnecting said lift rod from said gripping member.

10. A supporting device according to claim 9 and including means for mechanically disconnecting said lift rod and said gripping device to render said lower gripping member inactive.

11. A supporting device according to claim 10 in which said mechanical disconnection is effected by turning of said lift rod about its axis.

12. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of Which is slidable Within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and reciprocable therein,

a gripping device forming a connection between said lift rod and said inner tube during lifting movement of said lift rod,

means for releasably supporting the inner tube against downward movement,

a locking sleeve frictionally engaging said lift rod and connected with said gripping device,

said locking sleeve having a slot formed therein,

a pin mounted on said inner tube and extending into said slot,

said slot having an upright portion into which said pin extends during vertical movement of said lift rod and a laterally extending portion into which said pin enters when said locking sleeve is turned relatively to said lift rod and to said gripping device for causing said gripping device to release the lift rod,

a foot lever pivotally mounted in said base,

a connection between said lever and said lift rod for raising and lowering said lift rod during a portion of the path of movement of said foot lever,

and a connection between said foot lever and said lift rod for turning said lift rod during another portion of the path of movement of said foot lever for engaging said pin in the lateral extension of said slot.

13. An adjustable supporting device including a base,

an upright standard formed of telescopically arranged tubes, the outer of which is secured to said base and the inner of which is slidable within said outer tube,

a lift rod extending into said inner tube and reciprocable therein,

a gripping device forming a connection between said lift rod and said inner tube during lifting movement of said lift r-od,

means for releasably supporting the inner tube against downward movement,

a locking sleeve frictionally engaging said lift rod and connected with said gripping device,

said locking sleeve having a slot formed therein,

a pin mounted on said inner tube and extending into said slot, said slot having an upright portion into which said pin extends during vertical movement of said lift rod and a laterally extending portion into which said pin enters when said locking sleeve is turned relatively to said lift rod and to said gripping device for causing said gripping device to release the lift rod,

a foot lever pivotally mounted in said base,

a connection between said foot lever and said lift rod for reciprocating said lift rod during a portion of the path of movement of said foot lever,

said foot lever also being movable into an upper position out of engagement with said connection for reciprocating said lift rod,

and a connection between said foot lever when in said upper position for turning said lift rod to move said offset portion of said slot and said pin into engagement with each other to disconnect said lift rod from said gripping device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,481,445 1/ 1924 Swanson 248404 X WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON s. MEHR, Examiner, 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING DEVICE INCLUDING A BASE, AN UPRIGHT STANDARD FORMED OF TELESCOPICALLY ARRANGED TUBES, THE OUTER OF WHICH IS SECURED TO SAID BASE AND THE INNER OF WHICH IS SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID OUTER TUBE, A LIFT ROD EXTENDING INTO SAID INNER TUBE AND MOVABLE VERTICALLY UP AND DOWN, A GRIPPING DEVICE RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID LIFT ROD AND SAID INNER TUBE AND FORMING A CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID TUBE DURING UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LIFT ROD, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID INNER TUBE IN RAISED POSITION, AND INCLUDING A GRIPPING DEVICE CONNECTING SAID 